By GERRY deSIMAS, JR.
Collinsville Press.com
AVON, April 5 – Over an estimated thousand students, parents, teachers, school employees and residents marched about a mile to Avon High School Monday night in support of the Board of Education’s proposed 2010-11 budget.
After the rally, organized by the Coalition of Citizens for Avon, nearly 700 residents squeezed inside the high school auditorium to present their views to the Board of Finance in a public hearing. It was a pro-education crowd but there were several speakers that spoke in opposition of the Board of Education’s proposed budget.
The Board of Education is proposing a 6.91 increase in its current operating budget, which the BOE says maintains the current school system and meets contractural and mandated obligations.
It is a large increase compared to the size of increases that has passed in referendums over the previous years. The town budget must be approved each year in a referendum by town voters.
In 2009, the town’s mill rate rose just 1.65 percent. In 2008, the Town Council authorized a 3.84 percent in the mill rate after the proposed budget was defeated three times. Since a 5.41 percent increase in the mill rate was approved in 2002, the mill rate has increased higher than 3 percent just once in 2008.
Thomas Harrison, chairman of the Board of Finance, admitted in the hearing that the Board of Finance does take into consideration how the town has voted in recent years in referendums.
Still, it was a pro-education crowd. Resident Tom West asked the Board of Finance to let the people decide the fate of the school budget. “Let the voters decide,” West said. “You have the power to put this before the voters. If it fails, it fails but let us make the decision.”
Resident Max Ward is retired and has lived in town for over 30 years. He had three children go through the Avon school system. “I support the budget increase,” he said. “These children deserve what we received. It is the right thing to do.”
Dozens of residents patiently waited for their turn to share their thoughts with the Board of Finance and some opposed the Board of Education request. “This is a teaching moment for our children,” resident Susan Pereslugoff said. “We can’t spend what we don’t have. There has to be a meeting in the middle.”
Resident Diane Carey added, “These are tough economic times. We can’t afford a hefty increase in our property taxes and I don’t hear anyone offering any solutions.”
The Board of Education has proposed a budget of $46.9 million for 2010-11, an increase of $3.03 million over its current budget. They also presented residents of what cuts would need to be made if its request was reduced. Some cuts including the elimination of the varsity ice hockey team, varsity swimming program and all freshman sports at the high school.
Other proposed cuts in programs include elimination of 40 jobs including teachers, guidance counselors and paraprofessionals, elimination of music programs, clubs and activities and language programs at the middle school and high school.
The Board of Education made a 20-minute presentation of its proposal along with the Town Council. BOE chairwoman Peggy Roell and interim school superintendent Jody Goeler addressed the hearing.
The Board of Finance will hold a budget workshop on Wednesday, April 7 at the Senior Center but there will be no public comments allowed. The public is welcome to attend. They will hold another budget workshop on April 14, if needed.
A town meeting will be held on Monday, May 3 at the Senior Center and the budget referendum will be Wednesday, May 12.
Latest updates
Avon voters approve budget
AVON, May 12 – In the largest turnover ever for a budget referendum in town, voters in Avon approved a $72.87 million budget Wednesday by nearly 900 votes. The 2010-11 budget prevailed by a vote of 3,243 to 2,361.
Pay-to-pay fees could be steep for athletes in 2011
AVON, May 4 – A proposal to fund athletic programs at Avon High next year would require parents to pay over $248,000 in pay-to-play fees and include fees to play individual sports that would range from $125 to $2,000 per season.
Tanya Adorno, the athletic coordinator at Avon High, made a presentation to the Board of Education in a special meeting Tuesday night about the cost of funding its 74 teams that compete in 36 sports in the 2010-11 school year beginning in September.
Teachers agree
to concessions
AVON, May 3 – The Board of Education and Avon Teachers Association said Monday that they reached an agreement on concessions that would save about $350,000. Instead of getting a 2.4 increase in 2010-11, the final year of a three-year deal decided in arbitration, the teachers would take a 1.2 percent increase for the next two years and a 2.59 percent increase in salary in 2012-13. Raises for teachers eligible for step increases would also be delayed six months.
BOE to host two meetings on budget cuts
AVON, April 16 – The Avon Board of Education will hold two more additional meetings to decide what to cut from its proposed 2010-11 budget. The Board of Finance cut $1.05 million from the BOE’s original request of $46.9 million. The current BOE proposal of $45.9 million is a 4.5 percent increase from last year’s budget.
The BOE will hold special meetings on April 27 and May 4 to discuss possible spending cuts and encourages residents to provide suggestions to the BOE.
The current BOE proposal is part of the $72.87 million budget that town voters will vote on at the annual budget referendum on May 12.
BOF cuts BOE request by $1 million
Town to vote on budget on May 12
AVON, April 7 – Avon’s Board of Finance has voted to present a $72.87 million town budget for voters to approve in the upcoming budget referendum on May 12. The proposed budget would require taxes to rise 4.4 percent and represents a 2.8 percent increase in spending.
The vote was along party lines with five Republicans voting for the proposal and two Democrats opposing it.
The Board of Finance ordered the Board of Education to reduce its proposed budget by $1.05 million to $45.9 million. That reduces the BOE’s proposed increase in its budget from 6.91 percent to 4.5 percent.
On April 5, about 1,000 residents marched in support of the BOE’s original proposal and had hoped that town voters would get the chance to vote on the proposal.
